One Step At A Time
by xSammiee
Summary: So, as you know Zac Efron has been through some personal struggles recently and is thankfully on the road to recovery I have been asked to write a fiction based on possible experiences focusing on recovery As always, any events are purely coincidental as this is a fictional piece *I would appreciate reviews on this and if it does offend... PM ME and I will take it down*


He fiddled with the chip that was like a weight against his heart.

_You can do this, I have faith in you. Remember, I'll always love you. _

His Mom spoke those words and his family had echoed them; those words made him realise he was worth more, got him through rehab and got him to the door of the AA meeting but they couldn't get him through it.

'_Hey, you coming in?' _He was startled by a girls voice. He glanced over at her. She couldn't have been more than 18.. _Fuck. _'Come on,' she held out her hand. 'It's really not that bad, and if I can do it, you totally can.'

He smiled, took her hand as they strode through the door.

_'This is the first step,' he'd been told. 'The road to recovery starts here.' _Fuck that bullshit, the road to recovery started when he'd thrown away that final bottle he'd stashed for 'safe keeping; when he'd needed it most', the road to recovery started when he'd phoned his Mom, crying, telling her he couldn't do it anymore, the road to recovery started when he'd flown off and checked himself in rehab and spent six weeks away from total civilization; truth is, they tell you, every step is the 'first step,' it's fucking bullshit, there's plenty of steps before you sit in a room full of total strangers and tell an even bigger total stranger your problems and trust that because they've got some degree that they're going to accept you and you can trust yourself not to lie and tell them your story.

He sat on a chair, the furthest away from the one, he assumed the counsellor was going to sit on and fixed his face firmly on the floor.

'I didn't know if you drank coffee but I do and you should, so...' She smiled, handing him a cup.

'Thanks.' he smiled, he was yet to completely meet her eye and he was pretty sure she'd guessed who he was but he wasn't taking that chance. He took a tentative sip and grimaced. I wasn't exactly Starbucks but I guess he should get used to it.

_'_First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming. I know this is hard and probably the last place you want to be but this is where you need to be. You should all congratulate yourself because whether you've been sober 24 hours or 21 days, you've started to prove to yourself, you can do this... Just remember that, you can do this.'

_oh wow... Hello Obama, he thought to himself. He shouldn't but he couldn't help it. I mean, she looked okay-ish.. kinda like she knew what she was talking about and, truth be told, he had to do this; he knew that but it didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be the slightest bit sceptical but, then again, he didn't really know what 'fun' was these days, not real fun anyways. _

'So, we'll go around the room and introduce ourselves, I'll start. Hello, My name is Lucy, I've been sober for around 20 years now and I guess i'm here because, i've been one of you guys and I want to show a life without alcohol is possible. Okay, we'll go right?.'

'Oh.. Errm, I'm Kendall.'

_Kendall, he said in his head. Pretty name for a pretty girl_

'I've been sober for about 3 years.'

_3 years. Bigger 'fuck' than he thought... I mean, how old was she?_

'I'm here because, well, I guess I just can't anymore, you know? I've got dreams and goals and I need to accomplish them; I don't want to be defined by this anymore. So yeah, Hi.'

_Oh shit. It was him, what do you even say?_

'Hello everyone.' He spoke, just loud enough for people to hear. 'I'm David.'

_Fuck he lied, why? Shit. _She shot him a look, he knew, she knew that he'd lied and judging by the whispers, so did everyone else. I mean, it wasn't a massive lie; it was his middle name and it was used when his Mom, told him off but in a place like this.. _shit._

'I've been sober for a little over two months and I guess I'm here because I want to get myself back to the person, I know I can be. I want to focus on my future and make my family proud; I had dreams and goals before this; it's not who I am and it's not who I want to be.'

That felt like a weight, he had to admit but as he recovered he turned to Kendall.

'I'm sorry.' He mouthed, a silent apology, a plea.

'Don't' she mouthed back.

He sat for the rest of the hour, listening to people tell their stories. Joan who drank to numb the pain of her divorce. Daniel, the 19 year old whose Mom was in a relationship she couldn't get out of and committed suicide because of the result. Megan, the 24 year old that had been raped and forced to have some backstreet abortion that meant she couldn't have any more kids so she drank to numb that. He sat, like he was super glued to the chair, staring down further into the floor riveted by each of the stories, trying to piece together his own - he knew what they all thought 'Rich, stuck-up Cali kid, more money than sense; typical Hollywood brat.' That's why he lied, because in part, listening to these stories, these people that had nothing when he had everything who had every reason to fake it, didn't. They told the truth. They told the fucking truth and he didn't because, let's be honest, he kind of thought that too.

The hour was up, finally, he'd done his due. Kept his side of the bargain but now he had a bigger problem: Kendall. He didn't know what it was about her but he felt drawn to her, in the time that he'd been doing this alone, he'd found someone to get and understand him. Maybe.

'Hey Kendall. Wait.' He shouted as she continued to walk away.

'Kendall?' He grabbed her arm.

'Leave me alone Zac, or is it 'David' sorry I forget.'

'About that-'

No! Those are real people in there, real stories, _real lives. _You can't just come in there and do that.'

'I know. I don't even know why I did it. It just- It came out and it was out before I could stop it and I'm sorry.' He rambled.

'You're not though, are you? You know, what.. Just fuck off.'

He took a step back, her eyes bore into him.

'Why? Why does it bother you so bad?'

She sighed. 'You remind me of him, of Jason - he was my brother, and he lied, he couldn't admit was still drinking and he'd lie. Pathetic little lies, stupid shit you know, in the end he just couldn't tell the truth and that, along with drink, is what killed him. That's what fucked me off about you, you're still fucking lying.' she finished, tears pricking her eyes.

'I'm sorry, I don't know what to say.' he started but she carried on.

'I mean... I don't know why you lied anyway.. You're Zac Efron for fucks sake.. it's not like everyone over the age of five doesn't know who you are. You lied and everyone fucking knows you. Dude, grow a beard, dye your hair... I don't know but you're Zac Efron.. I mean, come on.'

He laughed, he had too.

'I know it was retarded and I'm sorry but, I can't say anything else other than it just came out... So, hi Kendall, I'm Zac Efron and I'm an alcoholic and I guess I lied because I've been doing it for so long, I'm kinda so used to it by now and I don't know, why I'm admitting this to you in a Parking lot but, I guess, I'm going to have to come back here and start to tell people the truth and nothing but so, hi Kendall, I'm Zac.' He'd finished, offering her his hand to shake.

'Hi Zac, pleased to meet you. My names Kendall.' She replied, returning his handshake, a symbol of friendship, an unspoken bond.

'So, I guess I'll see you next week?' She asked cautiously

'Yeah... I guess you will.' He smiled...


End file.
